One of the most popular aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the game’s diverse cast of companions, and the ability to romance them. Continuing a classic staple of the series and RPGs as a whole, Baldur’s Gate 3 features deeper explorations of its party members for players who choose to pursue a deeper relationship with them. Of the game’s set of three-dimensional characters with their own histories, the companion Gale features romance as a crucial component of his backstory in a way that ties into his fate as both an NPC and Origin character.

Gale of Waterdeep is a human Wizard that most players are likely to end up with, and his personal narrative can be one of the most difficult to ignore in the game. Possessing an arcane hunger for magical items that forces players to feed him valuable artifacts in order to keep him in the party, the Netherese Orb that sits within Gale is a symbol of his failed ambition to impress Mystra. The mere fact that a mortal was able to be romantically involved with a goddess is bound to impress players at first, but taking a step back can also reveal the more disturbing implications of Gale’s past.

RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: The Case for a Menzoberranzan DLC

Gale's Romance with Mystra, Goddess of Magic

The goddess of the Weave itself, Mystra grew closer to the wizard than simply making him one of her Chosen. Being a lover and muse to a god didn’t last for Gale, and he sought to regain her affection through bringing her the magic of the wizard who caused the fall of Netheril, Karsus. Ultimately a short-sighted effort, Gale’s plan unraveled due to the reality that the Netherese magic he harnessed is of a Weave completely separate from and bent on devouring Mystra’s own.

After feeding him magical items no longer suffices and the party makes it to the Shadow-Cursed Lands, Elminster Aumar of Dungeons and Dragons fame appears to deliver a message from Mystra. The Netherese Orb within Gale’s chest is set to detonate like a bomb, and he is ordered to kill the Absolute itself using this explosion. This may be a noble sacrifice if he chooses to end the game this way, but the reality of Mystra’s apparent lack of concern for Gale is also all too clear at this point. Even if he manages to survive defeating the Nether Brain in the end, the only ending that sees Gale end up back with his goddess is the one where he becomes a Mind Flayer.

The Dark Side to Gale's Relationship with Mystra

There is an inherently flawed nature to Gale as evident through the results of his ambition, but his development was also affected by the goddess. Said to have been involved with the Weave from a young age, it’s possible that he has known BG3's Mystra since his most impressionable years. Selected as a Chosen by a goddess who escalated their relationship into something few mortals experience, it stands to reason that Gale ended up holding himself to the highest standard possible. Mystra seems to be extremely critical of him for using magic that is out of her control, but she also influenced Gale’s entire personality to begin with through her providing him an irreplaceable love before withdrawing it.

If he surrenders the Crown of Karsus to Mystra as an Origin character, he has the potential to be released from his Karsite affliction and return to the mortal realm to live freely. If he becomes an Illithid in the end, however, Gale is given the option to have his humanity restored on the condition that he leaves to Elysium with the goddess herself. Requiring him to leave behind everything he saved in order to be with her, Mystra ultimately seems uninterested in a relationship with an equal power dynamic, an ironic trait of a god who was once a human herself.

Baldur's Gate 3 is out now for PC, Mac, and PS5. A version for Xbox Series X/S is in development.

MORE: Baldur's Gate 3: Why Monk/Rogue Multiclass Characters Are Broken